Advice for camp counselors and other camp staff

Archive for September 2013

This is (hopefully) a rare occurrence in a camp environment, a situation where a camper is in a position to be a physical threat to her/his counselors. In order to place this in context, I’ll talk about a scenario that I found myself in two summers ago, and explain how I dealt with it.

To use the kayaks in boating sessions, our campers have to complete 25 lengths in our pool, and to help them achieve this, counselors sometimes get in and complete it with them, cheering them on. I was doing just that. I had not swum properly for a while, and so was finding it just as hard going as the campers! When I had finished, I got out of the pool to an ongoing situation with my co-counselor and a camper. The camper had become aggressive, and was shouting at my co, and flicking a towel around at him. Rightly so, my co was not reacting to that, and trying to get him to calm down, my co-counselor was doing everything right, but it just wasn’t working.

I volunteered to be a ‘new face’, and take over where my co left off, just as the camper ran into the pump room of the pool. I followed him in, and he continued to be verbally aggressive, and to flick the towel at my face. I continued my co-counselors responses, trying to calm him down and get him out of the pump room. As he didn’t get the response he wanted, he picked up a wrench that was nearby, and started waving it around.

This is the point where the situation changed from inappropriate, to dangerous. As this was not going to resolve itself in a favorable manner (well for me anyway!), I took the wrench from his hands, and escorted him out of the pump room, where I made it quite clear how unacceptable this was. He was then passed over to a member of our Support and Intervention Team [SIT].

I think that this is the crux of my argument, that when circumstances like this occur, as rare as they are, they have to be resolved quickly, and in a way that you may not usually want to conduct yourself. At camp, I am easy-going and will attempt to talk to campers in a way that doesn’t show anger or condemnation, but helps to reason through their behavior with them. After this event, I had a long talk with my Unit Leader, as I felt very guilty and upset about how I had handled it, but now I don’t believe there was another way, because of what could have happened.

Understanding the typical developmental traits of children
by Sandy Cameron
(taken from my camp’s staff manual)

The Elementary Years
Five-to-seven-year-old campers are curious and excited. They are learning to share and play cooperatively in small groups. They see the world as a place to be explored. Other typical behavioral traits include:

A strong attachment to their home and family

A short interest span

An awareness mainly of themselves and their own desires

A preference for imaginative, make-believe play

Curiosity, a desire to explore their expanding world

A desire for repetition of enjoyable experiences

Being easily upset by changes in routine or environment

Boys and girls playing together readily

Depending on adults to meeting physical and emotional needs

A need for patient understanding and close supervision

Beginning Independence
Seven-to-ten-year-old campers are beginning to socialize with children their own age. They want friendships and enjoy playing together. They also:

Are ready for a live-away experience

Have a longer attention span

Are aware of others and are willing to share

Desire acceptance from their peers

Need close friendships with playmates

Are able to express themselves freely in art forms and play

Desire better skills performance are interested in group games and activities

Want everyone to obey stated rules and regulations

Strongly identify with own sex and age group

The "Tween" Years
Not quite children and not quite teenagers, camper’s ages ten to twelve are beginning to gain more awareness of themselves and their skills. Making friends and being accepted by their peers is a growing concern. Campers in this age group also:

Have a strong desire for a live-away experience

Want to be together in groups and teams

Have the patience to work toward short-term goals

Form cliques and friendships with own sex and age group

Seek status through excellence in skills and knowledge of grown-up things

Are fairly competitive in teams and individual activities

Have a growing concern with their physical size and appearance

Boys and girls can work and socialize in programs where they share planning responsibilities

Like to make, do, and collect things

Enjoy being mischievous and daring

Seeking Independence
Camper’s ages twelve to fifteen are becoming more independent, growing away from family ties and influences. However, they still want adult supervision and adult attention to their daily needs. Other traits include:

A strong drive for conformity with own age group

Intense feelings and emotions

Being greatly influenced by popular adults and teenage idols

Rapidly changing interests and ambitions

A long interest span and increasing capacity for self-discipline

A preference for competition with outside groups over competition with friends

Idealism about the world at large

Concern with their personal appearance, self-consciousness and inhibition

The state of puberty; girls begin to menstruate, boys’ sex glands begin to function actively

Boys and girls can work together on projects better than they can socialize

Impatient to Grow Up
Campers ages fifteen to seventeen are eager to grow up. They want independence and responsibility. At the same time, they are beginning to think about their future and possible career plans. Campers in this age group also:

Want to earn money for independence and freedom

Desire increased responsibility

Need to be treated as young adults

Occasionally revert to childish behavior

Are very critical of self

Seek prestige and belonging to the power group

Are able to concentrate and specialize in selected skills and interests

Expansive and changing ambitions

Are encountering a conflict between idealism and materialism

Develop crushes with depth of feeling

Tend to cover own weaknesses with similar weaknesses of the group

In addition to these characteristics, all children and teens want to know what they are respected, loved, and valued for who they are. Show campers that you care, and they will show you respect.

Information in this article is from Camper Guidance: A Basic Handbook by J.W. Bloom and A.C. Ballentine, et al. A related book is Camp is for the Camper.